Fresh Eggshell Membrane Helpful Inexpensive Support For Your Dogs Joints

★ 6 min read

In this article: 

1. What Is Eggshell Membrane?
2. How Eggshell Membrane Helps Support Fur, Eyes, Joints, Muscles, Nails and Skin
3. How To Separate Fresh Eggshell Membrane From Eggshell
4. How To Serve and Store the Fresh Eggshell Membrane
5. How Much, How Often - Serving Guideline for Cats and Dogs
6. Select From This List of Eggs
   
7. Optimal Nutritional Value
   
8. Just The Eggshell Membrane? 
1. How About The Eggshell?
2. How About The Egg White and Egg Yolk?
9. Cautions

Are you looking for a simple, inexpensive, natural joint supplement for your dog or cat? Include fresh, raw eggshell membrane (ESM) in your dog's daily diet to help support your dog's joints, and skin health. Eggshell membrane is a simple, inexpensive and natural whole food supplement. If your cat self-selects eggshell membrane, your cat can have it too.

 

Eggshell membrane also supports eye health, fur health, organ health, muscle health and nail health. 

 

If you eat poultry, fowl or bird eggs, remove the eggshell membranes before you throw those eggshells away!

 

1.0 What Is Eggshell Membrane?

Eggshell membrane is the naturally occurring semi-permeable protective barrier between the eggshell and egg white. The membrane helps protect the inside of the egg (egg white and yolk) from bad bacteria and other pathogens. It also helps keep the contents of the egg in-place.

 

The membrane consists of:

• 90% protein (made up of 472 protein species)
  
• 3% lipids (water insoluble fat)
  
• 2% sugars (natural sugars)

  

2.0 How Eggshell Membrane Helps Support Fur, Eyes, Joints, Muscles, Nails and Skin

Eggshell membrane contains many proteins that support fur, nail and skin health, eye health, muscle and joint health. These proteins aid healthy growth, help treat inflammation, injury, reduce pain and support recovery from injury.

 

The beneficial proteins in eggshell membrane and their health supporting actions include:

  

Collagen

 

10% of the protein in eggshell membrane is collagen. 

1. Collagen is an important joint and skin health supporting protein.
   
2. Collagen supports connective tissue strength and elasticity.
   
3. Helps reduce joint pain.
4. Helps build muscle.
   

Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine

 

Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine are important for:

1. Maintenance and repair of joint health.
   
2. Chondroitin supports cartilage elasticity and helps fight joint damaging enzymes produced by injury.
   
3. Glucosamine is an essential aid used by the body to help build cartilage, ligaments, tendons and protective fluid around joints.
   

 

Cysteine

1. Cysteine helps the body make collagen. 
2. Its also the main protein in fur and hair, nails and skin.

Dermatan Sulfate 

1. Dermatan sulfate is an important would healing aid.

Desmosine and Isodesmosine  

1. Amino acids desmosine and isodesmosine support joint elasticity.

 

Elastin

 

Elastin is a protein that helps support health and prevent damage to:

1. Cartilage
2. Skin
3. Spine

 

Growth Factor B (TGF-B)

 

TGF-B supports:

1. Cell regeneration.
2. Optimal immune function.

Hyaluronic Acid

 

Hylauronic acid is present in connective tissues, eyes and joints.

1. Hyaluronic acid acts as a cushioning agent and lubricant to support proper functioning of eyes and joints.
2. It also helps protect eyes and joints from injury and inflammation.

Keratin

 

Keratin helps:

1. Heal wounds.
2. Maintain healthy hair and fur, the lining of internal organs, nails, and skin.
   

 

Lysine and Ovotransferrin 

 

Lysine and ovotransferrin provide support to:

1. Naturally protect the body from pathogens.

 

3.0 How To Separate Fresh Eggshell Membrane From Eggshell

Separating the eggshell membrane from the eggshell is a simple, quick process.

Instructions for Separating the Membrane from the Eggshell

1. Crack the eggshell in two.
2. Use your thumb and forefinger to remove a little of bit of the shell from the cracked edge of the half shell. This will expose the edge of the eggshell membrane.
3. Gently, firmly grip the exposed edge of the membrane with your thumb and forefinger, slowly pull the membrane away from the shell.
4. Do the same with the other half of the cracked shell.
5. The eggshell membrane is ready to serve. 

4.0 How To Serve and Store the Fresh Eggshell Membrane

Instructions for Serving

1. Place the fresh eggshell membrane in your dog or cat's food bowl (beside or on top of their food) and serve or store in the refrigerator to serve later in the day.
2. Its best to serve the fresh eggshell membrane within 2 days of removing it from the shell.

Storing for an Extended Period of Time

1. If you want to keep the fresh eggshell for longer than 2 days, freeze the eggshell membrane. Eggshell membrane can be stored frozen for many months.
2. Take out as needed and serve within 24 hours.
   

5.0 How Much, How Often - Serving Guideline for Cats and Dogs

Eggshell Membrane Serving Guideline

 

Serve daily or several times per week as per below serving guideline:

Cats and X-Small Dogs

per day:

🥚 1 to 2 small eggshell membranes (e.g. pigeon or quail eggshell membrane), or;

🥚 1/2 to 1 larger eggshell membrane (e.g. chicken or duck eggshell membrane).

Small Dogs

per day:

🥚 1 to 3 small eggshell membranes per day (e.g. pigeon or quail eggshell membrane), or;

🥚 1  to 2 larger eggshell membranes per day (e.g. chicken or duck eggshell membrane).

 

Medium Dogs

per day:

🥚 3 to 4 small eggshell membranes per day (e.g. pigeon or quail eggshell membrane), or;

🥚 1 to 3 larger eggshell membranes daily (e.g. chicken or duck eggshell membrane).

 

Large Dogs to x-Large Dogs

per day:

🥚 4 to 8 small eggshell membranes per day (e.g. pigeon or quail eggshell membrane), or;

🥚 3 to 4 larger eggshell membranes daily (e.g. chicken or duck eggshell membrane).

6.0 Select From This List of Eggs

There are many types of eggs that are good for dogs and cats. 

 

Select from the list below:

🥚 Chicken eggs

🥚 Cornish Hen eggs

🥚 Duck eggs

🥚 Emu eggs

🥚 Goose eggs

🥚 Grouse eggs

🥚 Guinea fowl eggs

🥚 Partridge eggs

🥚 Pigeon eggs

🥚 Quail eggs

🥚 Turkey eggs

7.0 Optimal Nutritional Value

To ensure optimal nutritional value use fresh eggshell membranes sourced from:

• Pastured, free-range poultry, fowl and birds, or;
• Wild-caught fowl, bird eggs.

Second best choice for nutritional value are fresh eggshell membranes sourced from:

• Organic poultry, fowl and bird eggs.

If you're not able to use free-range, pastured or organic eggs, your dog and cat can still enjoy the benefits of eggshell membrane. 

 

To help you:

1. Determine the best eggs to purchase within your budget and sourcing availability.
2. Avoid getting ripped-off by egg industry marketing ploys.

Go to this article.

8.0 Just The Eggshell Membrane?

Why just the eggshell membrane?

1. How about the eggshell?
   
2. How about the egg yolk and white?

8.1 How About The Eggshell?

 

Some dogs enjoy eating the eggshell, some do not. If your dog likes to eat the eggshell...

 

 

If You Live in The UK or the EU 

 

Poultry, fowl and bird eggs are not washed with chemicals.  

• The eggshell is safe for your dog (or cat) to eat. 

If You Live in North America 

 

Poultry, fowl and bird eggs purchased from a small, local farm that does not chemically wash the eggs:

• The eggshell is safe for your dog (or cat) to eat.      

If, instead you've purchase eggs from an Asian market, big box store, butcher, grocery store, natural health store, etc. the eggs are chemically washed.

• The eggshell is not safe for your dog (or cat) to eat.

Learn more about:

1. Chemical washing of eggs.
2. Toxic washing agents.

Go to this article.

 

 

8.2 How About The Egg Yolk and Egg White?

Yes, of course! Your dog and cat can eat the egg yolk and white. For a guide to including egg in your dog and cat's diet:

1. How often, how much.
2. Serving recommendations.
3. How to serve the eggs to your dog and cat.
4. Egg recipes for your dog and cat.

Go to this article. 

9.0 Cautions

9.1 Hypersensitivity

 

If your dog or cat is hypersensitive (intolerant or allergic) to a specific type of egg (e.g. chicken egg, duck egg, etc.), select another type of egg (e.g. quail egg, etc.) instead.

 

9.2 Self-Selection

 

If your dog or cat indicate they do not want eggshell membrane (and/or eggshell, egg white and yolk) from a specific type of egg or all eggs, respect their indication.

 

Learn more about self-selection.

• Go to this article.

 

Holistic Diet, Nutrition, Wellness Services Tailored to Your Individual Dog and Cat

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For information about my holistic behavioral services, visit my holistic behavioral services page.

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📱FaceTime | Facebook | Skype | WhatsApp

To set-up your holistic behavioral session get in-touch via email, go to my contact me page. 

 

Affiliations to Companies  

✓ None. 

✓ I don't sell food, supplements, or other products.

✓ I'm not aligned with any companies. 

 

Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld.